I stumbled across a 1980’s NY Times article quoting commercial real estate brokers who were predicting that West 8th Street would soon be the new Columbus Avenue. Obviously that never happened, Now University Place is starting to look like one of those gimmicky Upper West Side commercial areas, and the new Goldman Sachs funded condo tower where Bowlmor lanes once stood is not going to help the situation. But so far the ares is not supporting these stunt retail concepts.

There was an odd British foods grocery store (which replaced the busy and somewhat messyUniversity Restaurant) but that place never had any customers. and it closed, a Ralph Lauren boutique is gone, Argo Tea had downsized due to the rent, that Crumbs store is gone, as is Jamba Juice. Also gone are the places that were the whole reason to go to University Place: the Cedar Tavern, the old Dean &. De Luca cafe, Bowlmor Bowling alley, Patsy’s Pizza, University Restaurant which was the only coffee shop, and University chemists, the old corner pharmacy, is gone as well. University Place is like the Bowery without the bums, where retail can’t seem to survive, and neither can its original character.

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